“As a parent, you want to learn how to teach. You don’t know why Elmo became such a central figure in your kid’s life; he saw an animatronic Elmo doll once and became hooked immediately, then learned the difference between heavy and light from him. You followed suit by becoming enthusiastic. It was the least you could do, really, because what interests your child is inherently interesting to you, at least upon first viewing. The element that sometimes remains elusive is making those experiences accessible to anyone else. Suddenly, the things you care about feel insular in the parent zone: circles, noses, how and if to open doors.”